Jennifer Maritza Mccauley
Dr. Jennifer Maritza McCauley is the author of the cross-genre collection SCAR ON/SCAR OFF (Stalking Horse Press), the short story collections When Trying to Return Home (Counterpoint Press) and Recognition (University of Wisconsin Press) ('27), the poetry collections Kinds of Grace (Flowersong Press) VERSUS and Tumbao ( '27, '29/Texas Review Press) and the speculative fiction collection Neon Steel (Cornerstone). She is the recipient of fellowships from National Endowment for the Arts, Kimbilio, CantoMundo, and Sundress Academy for the Arts. Her poetry collection SCAR ON/SCAR OFF received an Independent Publishers Book Award and her short story collection When Trying to Return Home, was a New York Times Editors' Choice and one of the Best Fiction Books of the Year by Kirkus Reviews. She has received an MFA from Florida International University and a PhD in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is presently an assistant professor in English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Go beyond the headlines with Erica González Martínez and into a vibrant conversation with author Jennifer Maritza McCauley, as she explores Black millennial “nerd” culture, speculative fiction, and the power of joy as resistance. From anime fandoms and blerd communities to rewriting traditional narratives that center trauma, McCauley shares how storytelling can create space, connection, and possibility. It’s a thoughtful, energizing discussion about creativity, identity, and why telling the stories you want to tell matters more than ever.
